The Story of the Health Class

Here's another story of how God came through for me.

Currently, I'm a couple semesters away from becoming an English teacher.  How I arrived at this point in the first place is a story for another post, but let's just say this adventure was never ever part of my five-year plan, ten-year plan, entire-life plan, etc.  But I'm here nonetheless and, crazy as it sounds hearing myself say (type) this, I'm happy.  So here's my story.

Because of God's amazing provision in the form of the temp job I landed this summer, I'm able to pay for this semester out of pocket via an installment plan.  One of the classes I'm required to take to get my teaching credential is a health class.  The kind school of ed person I talked to at CBU suggested I try to take the class at a community college to save a little money.  Within about 24 hours of registration opening, I signed up for the 8 week, on-line class. Made it onto the waiting list at a local community college.  I felt a little nervous, but hopeful I'd get a spot.

Fast forward a few weeks, I logged onto the community college website to check my waitlist status as I had done so many times before and found out I was no longer registered for the class.  Turns out the automated system had called up my number on a Saturday and I had 24 hours to respond or I'd lose my spot.  I found out on Monday.  My spot was gone.  The next 30-45 minutes rushed by in a whirlwind of panicked emails, a desperate phone call, re-registering for the class, and finally landing back on the waiting list, this time at spot number 19.  The bottom line: I would either have to come up with roughly $1500 to take the class at CBU or hope to take the class in the spring and push back my student teaching, the final step in my credential journey, until next Fall.

Throughout the ordeal, I really desired a different perspective than my typical go-to perspective (fear and worry) for times like these.  I remembered the verse that says "My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:19).  It just felt like such a loss, though.  I know it was only a class and life would go on if I had to end up postponing my student teaching, but still, I felt sad.  Really sad.

At the same time, I feel like God showed me something extremely valuable during my time of crisis.  When I first made the decision to start down this road to becoming a teacher, I knew I was taking a huge risk.  I hadn't seen any writing on the wall.  I hadn't heard God's still small voice or a voice behind me saying "This is the way, walk in it" (Isa. 30:21).  Sometimes God leads us that way, but sometimes He doesn't.  For me, it was more a matter of setting out all the pieces to the puzzle, the ones I could see, and laying them before Him, choosing His way above all else, and finally, moving forward in my decision.  Since then, I've seen Him provide in such wonderful ways and I've been so encouraged by the time I've spent in classrooms.  It seems like it's where I fit.  But still, every once in a while I wonder if I made the right choice, if God is pleased with me heading down this road, if He will take care of me for the long haul. It wasn't until I came to the end of my rope, that Monday of the Lost Waitlist Position, that I realized I'm not alone in this thing.  He has led me here.  He has taken care of me "all along the way I went until I reached this place" (Deut. 1:31).  And He won't stop now.  That's the truth that brought comfort in my crisis.  It was my need of Him that allowed me to see Him where He has been along--beside me.

But the story doesn't end there.  I came home from work the next day, still struggling with the disappointment of the situation but determined to resign myself to God's faithfulness however it would look, and I found an email in my inbox from the community college health class professor.  I'd emailed her the day before in a panic and got an immediate automated out of office reply saying, in as kind a way as possible, you're out of luck.  This email was different.  She said she understood my predicament, that it happens a lot, and if I didn't mind signing up for a different section of the class that began the day before, she had an add code for me that I could use to register even though the class was full.  I could hardly believe it. Immediately, I whipped out my debit card and grabbed my spot in the class while I had the chance.  When I looked online, the waitlist for that section was just as long, if not longer, than for the other section.  There is no explanation for her generosity and graciousness apart from the hand of God at work in that situation.  He could have provided in a number of ways and I believe that whatever way He chose to provide would have been what's best for me.   But I'm so grateful that He chose to provide in this way. And even more, I'm so grateful that He will continue to walk with me along this road.